CHAPTER 9:THE THINGS WE DON'T SAY

I stared at the message on my phone.

Blake isn't the only person who has been hiding something from you.

My heart was still pounding when I looked across the room.

Blake was watching me.

Not my phone.

Me.

There was something in his expression that made me wonder if he already knew what the message said.

I quickly slipped my phone into my pocket.

“Chloe?” Aria called.

I turned toward her.

“Yeah?”

“You were about to say something.”

I forced a smile.

“I forgot.”

Blake raised an eyebrow.

He knew I was lying.

Of course he did.

Aria looked between us.

“Okay… I'm going to get some air.”

She walked away, leaving Blake and me alone.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then Blake stepped closer.

“Who sent the message?”

I looked at him.

“You know who?”

“No.”

“You're lying.”

His jaw tightened.

“Chloe.”

“Don't.”

I shook my head.

“I don't want to talk about it.”

He stared at me for a moment.

Then he nodded.

“Okay.”

I blinked.

“You're not going to argue?”

“No.”

“Wow.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“I can be reasonable sometimes.”

“That's new.”

“Don't get used to it.”

I smiled despite myself.

His eyes immediately settled on my face.

“There.”

I frowned.

“There what?”

“That smile.”

“What about it?”

“You don't smile at me very often.”

“Maybe because you annoy me.”

“You're smiling right now.”

I quickly looked away.

“I wasn't.”

“You were.”

“You're imagining things.”

He laughed softly.

“You know, you're different when you smile.”

I looked back at him.

“What does that mean?”

“It means…”

He paused.

“I like seeing it.”

My smile disappeared.

His did too.

The teasing suddenly felt different.

More serious.

He stepped closer.

“You're always trying to hide behind sarcasm.”

“And you're always trying to read me.”

“Maybe because I want to know you.”

My heart skipped.

“You already know me.”

“Not like this.”

I swallowed.

“What does that mean?”

He opened his mouth.

Before he could answer, someone called his name from across the room.

Blake looked away.

“I'll be back.”

He walked toward the crowd.

I watched him go.

Then I shook my head.

What was happening to me?

---

A few minutes later, Ethan approached me.

“Hey.”

I smiled.

“Hi.”

“You disappeared earlier.”

“I was with Aria.”

“Right.”

He smiled.

“I was wondering if I could get your number.”

I hesitated.

Before I could answer, Blake appeared beside us.

“She doesn't give her number to strangers.”

I turned sharply.

“Blake.”

Ethan looked at him.

“I wasn't asking you.”

Blake smiled.

“I know.”

There was something in his voice that made Ethan look uncomfortable.

Ethan turned back to me.

“Your boyfriend?”

“No!”

The answer came out far too quickly.

Blake's eyebrow lifted.

Ethan chuckled.

“Okay.”

He looked at me.

“So?”

I glanced at Blake.

He was watching me.

Waiting.

I took a breath.

“Sure.”

I gave Ethan my number.

He smiled.

“I'll text you.”

“Okay.”

He walked away.

I turned to Blake.

“What was that?”

“What?”

“You scared him.”

“I did nothing.”

“You were glaring at him.”

“I wasn't.”

“You absolutely were.”

Blake crossed his arms.

“You gave him your number.”

“Yes.”

“You barely know him.”

“Neither did you when you met me.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

He stared at me.

“I don't know.”

I smiled.

“Exactly.”

I started walking away.

He followed.

“You're enjoying this.”

“Enjoying what?”

“Making me jealous.”

I stopped.

He stopped too.

“Are you jealous?”

He looked at me.

“Yes.”

I wasn't expecting that.

“Why?”

His expression softened.

“I think you know why.”

“I don't.”

He stepped closer.

“Liar.”

My heart started beating faster.

He didn't touch me.

He didn't need to.

The way he looked at me was enough.

Then he quietly said,

“I don't like watching another guy try to get your attention.”

I swallowed.

“Why?”

He stared at me for a long moment.

“Because I want it.”

My breath caught.

Before I could respond, Aria appeared.

“There you two are!”

Blake immediately stepped away.

Aria looked between us suspiciously.

“What were you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Blake said.

I nodded.

“Nothing.”

Aria narrowed her eyes.

“Right.”

---

The party ended around midnight.

On the drive home, Aria fell asleep in the back seat.

I sat beside her while Blake drove.

The car was quiet.

Streetlights passed across his face.

Then he spoke.

“You're really going to give Ethan a chance?”

I looked at the back of his head.

“Maybe.”

His hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“Why?”

“Why do you care?”

He glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

“Because I do.”

My heart skipped.

“That's not an answer.”

“It's the only one I have.”

I looked away.

A few minutes later, we arrived home.

Blake helped Aria upstairs.

I followed them.

After getting Aria into bed, I quietly closed her door.

When I turned around, Blake was standing in the hallway.

“Goodnight,” I whispered.

“Goodnight.”

I walked past him.

“Chloe.”

I stopped.

“Yeah?”

He hesitated.

“About tonight…”

My heart raced.

“What about it?”

“I shouldn't have said those things.”

My stomach dropped.

“Oh.”

“I don't want to make things complicated.”

I forced a smile.

“Right.”

“You understand?”

“Of course.”

I walked away before he could see how much his words had affected me.

When I reached my room, I closed the door.

Then I leaned against it.

Why did I feel disappointed?

He was right.

We couldn't make things complicated.

He was Aria's brother.

I was her best friend.

There were lines we shouldn't cross.

My phone vibrated.

I looked down.

Blake.

I opened the message.

I'm sorry.

I stared at it.

Another message appeared.

I shouldn't have said those things to you.

I typed.

It's okay.

His reply came quickly.

It isn't.

I stared at the screen.

Then typed:

Then what do you want me to say?

The typing bubble appeared.

Disappeared.

Then appeared again.

I want you to tell me you don't feel anything.

My heart stopped.

I didn't answer.

Another message appeared.

Because if you say you don't, I'll leave it alone.

I stared at the words.

It should have been easy.

I should have typed:

I don't feel anything.

But my fingers wouldn't move.

Because I couldn't lie.

Not to him.

Not about this.

I put my phone down.

A few seconds later, it vibrated again.

Goodnight, Chloe.

I turned the phone over.

But I couldn't sleep.

---

The next morning, I went downstairs to find Aria making breakfast.

“Morning.”

She handed me a cup of coffee.

“You look tired.”

“I didn't sleep well.”

“Why?”

“Too much on my mind.”

She smiled knowingly.

“Blake?”

I nearly dropped my cup.

“What?”

She laughed.

“I was joking.”

“Oh.”

She studied me.

Then her smile faded.

“Chloe…”

“Yeah?”

“I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Do you like my brother?”

My heart stopped.

I looked away.

“I don't know.”

“That means yes.”

“No, it doesn't.”

Aria sighed.

“I know my brother.”

I stayed quiet.

“He doesn't do things halfway,” she continued.

“What do you mean?”

“When Blake cares about someone, he really cares.”

She looked at me.

“And that's why I'm scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“That one of you is going to get hurt.”

I didn't know what to say.

Aria reached for my hand.

“I don't want this to ruin our friendship.”

“It won't.”

“You can't promise that.”

“I can.”

She gave me a sad smile.

“Just be careful.”

I nodded.

---

That evening, I was sitting on my bed when someone knocked.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

Blake.

I immediately sat up.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk.”

“About?”

He closed the door.

“Last night.”

I looked away.

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“There is.”

He walked closer.

“I meant what I said.”

My heart started racing.

“Which part?”

“That I want your attention.”

I looked at him.

He stopped a few feet away.

“But I'm not going to pressure you.”

I swallowed.

“I don't know what I feel.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

He smiled faintly.

“Because I don't know what I feel either.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“You just said you wanted my attention.”

“I do.”

“That's confusing.”

He laughed softly.

“Welcome to my world.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he said,

“We don't have to rush anything.”

I looked at him.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Something about the way he said it made me believe him.

He turned toward the door.

Then stopped.

“Goodnight, Chloe.”

“Goodnight.”

He left.

I stared at the closed door.

Maybe we really could take things slowly.

Maybe we could figure out what this was without destroying everything.

Then my phone vibrated.

I picked it up.

A message from Ethan.

Are you free tomorrow? I'd like to take you out.

I stared at it.

Before I could reply, another notification appeared.

It was from Blake.

I hope you say no.

My eyes widened.

I hadn't told him about Ethan's message.

I slowly looked toward my bedroom door.

It was closed.

My heart began pounding.

Then another message from Blake appeared.

Because I want to be the one taking you out.